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Monday, 17 July 2017

‘WOMEN’S JAIL BOOZE COVER-UP’

A newspaper in Swaziland is
alleging there has been a cover-up at a women’s jail where a senior officer has
been illegally supplying alcohol.

It has been going on at Sidwashini for at least a month the Sunday
Observer reported (16 July 2017). It said it had been, ‘kept under wraps by high ranking officers within the correctional
facility.’

Unnamed junior officers
interviewed by the newspaper said the drinking had been discovered after, ‘the
tell-tale stench of stale alcohol gave the prisoners away resulting in a search
for the person who allegedly brought it in’.

The newspaper reported, ‘The
handful of female prisoners who are remanded in custody while awaiting trial
are said to have been thoroughly searched and threatened with assault.’ The
inmates named a prisoner.

The newspaper reported, ‘The
prisoners further pointed a finger at a high ranking female officer who they
alleged was instrumental in breaching security and bringing in the prized
alcohol.

‘“Following the discovery
that alcohol was freely available, we assumed that something would be done, but
we are shocked that this matter was swept under the carpet,” a junior officer
said.

‘Further alleging that
money could have exchanged hands thus enabling the liquor to be brought into
the institution, the officer said they suspected that more could have been
spread around for the matter to be silenced the way it had.’

The newspaper added, ‘Concerning
the alleged boozing incident, the junior officer said it was easy to take in
prohibited substances as junior officers are usually stationed as gate
keepers of the establishment.

‘“Would you thoroughly
search your superior and question them on what they are taking in,” he asked
rhetorically.’

The Sunday Observer reported, ‘the matter has been hushed so well that
only junior officers are willing to talk about it, albeit in anonymity.

‘Several senior officers
not connected to the alleged incident, but who were said to be privy to it,
declined to comment stating that they would never talk about anything that
would put their institution in bad light.’